


Just One Problem

by Hikoukigumo



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-24
Updated: 2017-07-24
Packaged: 2018-12-06 08:36:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11596983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hikoukigumo/pseuds/Hikoukigumo
Summary: Isobel Monroe. That's me.I've been told I'm the luckiest girl at Hogwarts. Why, you ask? Hogwarts heart-throb, James Potter, is fixated on asking me out at every opportunity.There's just one problem…I'm in love with someone else…who happens to be James' brother…and my best friend.I don't know why I even bother.Albus/OC





	1. A Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> So this fic has been moved across from my harrypotterfanfiction account in the hopes that I continue writing it.
> 
> Disclaimer: Anything recognisable as a part of JK Rowling's world is not owned by me (even if I wish it was)

"Monroe!"

Monroe. That's me, Isobel Monroe. 5th year Hufflepuff. Regular background: muggle mother, wizard father. It's all pretty simple really.

"Monroe! Pay attention to me!"

That annoying, persistent, just won't leave me alone voice? That's James Potter. 7th year Gryffindor. Far from regular background: famous, world saving parents and all that. Not so simple. Every girl in Hogwarts swoons at his glance and falls apart in his presence and by every girl I mean every girl….except me. The worst thing is that he knows it. He knows that every girl in this school would cut off their damn legs just to be with him…but not me. He knows that too. He knows that I have no infatuation with him at all. I mean I think he's great and everything and he's a good friend, being Al's older brother, but I just don't like him like that. This being the case he seems to have decided that I'm the girl of his dreams and he will stop at nothing to get me to realise it too. I know he doesn't really like me like that and he'll come to his senses eventually but once he's got an idea in his head it's difficult to convince him otherwise, he has to come to that realisation on his own. There is one thing that he doesn't know though, that no one knows in fact: the reason I don't fancy him.

Albus Severus Potter, my best friend, partner in crime and apparently the love of my damn life.

Okay, maybe love of my life is a bit of an exaggeration but I seem to have developed a small crush on my best friend. I'm sure it's just a phase and I'll be back to normal in no time…I hope. The thing with Al is that as soon as he got sorted into Hufflepuff he's been put on the back-burner in terms of attention, and that's just how he likes it. James is the outgoing, charismatic, charming one and he's spent his life in the spotlight, being so like his namesake. Al is…well he's just Al and that's just how I like it. When you first meet him he comes across quiet and polite and always has his nose stuck in a book but it's only when you start to scratch at the surface that you begin to see the real Albus Potter. Although he can still be quiet and polite he also becomes completely insane and funny. He has this immense imagination and an never-ending itch for adventure. I guess that's what happens when you spend your life with your eyes glued to some fantasy book or another.

"Isssooobeeelll"

Now the annoying voice is singing. Great.

I was slumped over my porridge half asleep while Al tried to enchant my latest drawing to move and I was no way in the mood to deal with James bloody Potter.

"Jaammmeess" I sang back, emphasising the strain in my voice, topping it off with a nice, wee sarcastic smile. I hoped he picked up on the fact that I may be willing to have him around but I was definitely not prepared to play nice. Al didn't even glance up from his breakfast.

"So there's a Hogsmeade trip coming up. Wanna go w-"

"B-b-bah I'm just gonna stop you right there and save you the effort by saying no outright" I know, I know I'm supposed to be a friendly little, lovely Hufflepuff but this really wasn't my day.

"That's okay. I'm just gonna brush it off, sit down over here and wait for you to come to your senses and accept" he replied with a wink and a grin as he went to sit at the Gryffindor table with his friends.

Ah silence. That's how it should be at the ungodly hour of 8am.

"Do you think he'll ever give up?" Albus's first coherent words of the morning. Earlier than usual.

"Eventually"

"Impressive resilience by the way. I really thought you'd have caved by now."

"You think so little of me?" I replied laughing, throwing a bit of toast at him.

"Now, now boys and girls we'll have less of that shameless flirting"

There's only one person that voice could belong to: Scorpius Malfoy. My eyes wandered upwards to meet the familiar sight of Scorpius pulling Al into a headlock before sitting down next to us. I gave him a derisive look and continued with my breakfast. Scorp was Ravenclaw but at some point in the past, someway or another, we had adopted him into this wee group of ours…my embarrassing early teenage years all tend to blend into one now. My group of friends, at the core, generally consists of myself, Al, Scorp, my roommate Emma and Jacinta (a fellow Ravenclaw introduced to us by Scorpius). Al's cousin, Rose, is one of the more common comer and goers (she probably hangs out with us the most out of all the Potter/Weasley clan) and her friend Aiden hangs with us quite a lot. Both Gryffindor.

"Okay so not in the mood for joking this morning? Got it"

He's surrendered…that's rare. Scorp is constantly ridiculing Al and me about flirting with each other. We don't flirt! As much as I want to sometimes, I tend to try and avoid it lest my secret is discovered. I leant my head in my hands and yawned, thinking about how to get rid of this stupid crush of mine. It should be simple! He's my friend and nothing more…but if he was more…no brain! No! Shush!

"Heelloooo! Earth to Izzo!" I looked up and the boys were already standing up with their bags slung over their shoulders. "You coming to transfiguration or you planning to eat porridge all day?"  
____________________________________________

"How is McGonnagall still here?" I whispered to Al "I'd have thought she'd have retired to Florida or something by now"

"I don't know. Maybe if you concentrated on what spells you were casting instead of letting your mind wander then your hand wouldn't be green and you'd have a teapot, not a cat."

"Blah blah blah. Shush." I hate how he's always right "Fine, Mr Smartypants, explain why your cat is not a teapot yet."

"Cause I've already turned mine into a teapot and back again" he answered in a harsh whisper

"Practically a bloody Ravenclaw" I muttered. He must have heard me cause he kicked me under the table and sniggered when I swore under my breath.

First class of the morning never really was my forte, especially so soon after Summer break, but the rest of the class went fairly uneventfully and in silence. Thank Merlin.

My hand was back to a normal colour, my cat was a teapot and it was all nice and quiet. This put me in a better mood and I was back to my usual, chirpy, daytime self. I jumped on Al's back as we made our way to charms and started humming an Oasis song. Charms. Now there's a subject! I'm actually good at charms. Who managed the "Wingardium Leviosa" charm first time? Me, that's who. Yes, definitely, charms is my favourite subject.

I smiled to myself when Al started whistling along with my tune. We looked like a couple of crazy people with our piggy backs and music making but it was moments like these that I just felt completely content with the way things were which is why I'd never jeopardise it by admitting to anyone, not even myself, that I liked Al more than I should. I started tapping to the beat on his chest as Rose joined us.

"Hello ladies!" chirped Rose

"Oi! Rose I'm here too!" Al said peering round my arms dejectedly at Rose, pout in place.

Rose grinned mischievously at that "Oh sorry lil cuz I didn't see you trapped under Izzo there"

"Oh don't worry I'll get down so you can chat" I cut in, loosening my arms around his neck to jump down.

"No, no don't worry about it." Al said quickly.

"You sure?"

"We're almost there anyway. I don't think Flitwick'd like it if you stayed on my back for the whole of charms!" he replied "And anyway, I'd rather have you humming in my ear any day than have to talk to Rose" he grinned and started laughing at that last part

"I don't doubt that you would" said Rose quietly with that same mischievous grin as before and a wink at Al.

For some reason that wiped the smile off Al's face, earned Rose a nasty glare and within 2 seconds he was back to his usual self. I pretended not to notice that particular interaction.

"CHARMS YONDER!" I shouted. One hand shading my eyes and the other out straight pointing at the classroom door. Al tightened his hold on my legs and started running towards the door, me laughing, still his back. This earned us a few funny looks.

_____________________________________________

The rest of the day rolled by and I found myself playing cards in the great hall, eating ice cream with all my friends. Dinner was over and there were only a few groups of people still in the great hall. Hanging out with friends from other houses before heading to the common room, probably. I was sitting on one side of the table with Scorp on my left and Jacinta lying down on the bench to my right, reading. Opposite us were Al and Rose. Aiden and Emma were sitting cross-legged on the tabletop at either end.

"BULLSHIT!"

"Scorpius Malfoy!" gasped Rose "You're supposed to shout cheat! There are younger students around!"

Scorpius looked around him indignantly saying "Yeah at the other end of the hall maybe! They can't hear me! Anyway just because you're a prefect now doesn't mean you need to go acting bad cop all the time"

"Chill out guys!" interjected Emma, bless her, the peace keeper "And Rose is right, no swearing Malfoy" Aiden sniggered at this and Scorp punched him in the shoulder

Aiden is just a big kid really, he's a joker and is constantly landing himself in trouble. I don't know how Rose ended up being friends with him to be honest, she's just a younger version of her mother really. She's super smart, incredibly loyal to her friends and a massive goody two shoes. Nope, I don't think I'll ever understand that one. Well, whether I understand or not, it's a fact that those two are as thick as thieves.

Jacinta stirred next to me and sat up "Well I'm knackered. Bedtime methinks. Anyone coming?"

"I'll take up that offer any day" Aiden winked at her. Another thing you need to know about Aiden is he is constantly flirting with Jacinta. He claims he's just joking around but we're all pretty sure he's got something for her and just doesn't know any other way to express it.

"That's sounds like a grand idea. Wait for me Cindy" replied Emma, choosing to ignore Aiden's previous comment.

"Yeah I have a lot of reading to do" added Rose

"You always have a lot of reading to do" grumbled Aiden "but I guess I should probably go too considering I've got all the same reading as Rosie and I'm considerably slower at it" he grinned at that last part.

They bid their good nights and walked off towards the Entrance Hall.

"And then there were 3" I heard Al say from across from me and I turned my attention back to the table

"Indeed" I replied

"Well our game has as good as disintegrated with all them gone." said Scorp "lets all just agree that I won and do something else"

All it took was one glance between Al and I and we started chucking cards at Scorp in fits of laughter.

"OI!" shouted Scorpius in between face fulls of cards "You're supposed to be my friends! You little shits!"

"Language Scorp!" Albus screeched in his best impression of Rose that he could manage while gasping for breath

"Right you guys are going down!" Scorpius shouted, jumping up. Oh crap best run now. So we did. One flick of my wand and the pack of cards were back in my right hand, I grabbed Al with my left, pulled him over the table and quick as a flash we were sprinting down between the tables away from Scorpius. All the way to the Quidditch Pitch with Scorp on our heels, him shouting how immature we were and us replying with more laughter.

I collapsed in the middle of the field, reached for Al's ankle, cards went flying everywhere but Al evaded my grasp and kept on running. It was a futile attempt. He got about 3 steps and Scorp tackled him to the ground about a metre to my left. I genuinely think I almost peed myself laughing at the sight of Scorpius sitting triumphantly on Al's back.

"Alright! Alright! I surrender!" gasped Al, struggling to breathe. I think it was a combination of laughing uncontrollably and the hefty weight of the Quidditch player on his back that was doing it.

"Good." Replied Scorp with a smug smile on his face. He got up off Al and lay back on the grass, looking up at the sky.

"Man, you fatty. I think you crushed my ribs" Al complained.

"You should have given up sooner then! Monroe here" - he pointed at me - "gave up right at the right moment. I hadn't yet caught up with you yet but she knew you'd keep running meaning I'd forget her and take you down instead, hence rendering her safe."

Al smiled saying "Well played Monroe, well played" I made a gesture as though bowing and smiled back at him, catching his eye and holding it.

"Weeelll!" Scorpius proclaimed bringing our attention back to him "As much as I love to hate you ladies and would love to stay here all night hating you, it's getting late and it's almost curfew"

"Yeah good point" I agreed getting up, Al following suit. We started walking across the grass but only got a few metres when I noticed Scorp was walking away from the castle. "Uhm Scorp the castle is this way" I shouted over to him.

"Hell no! Walking is too much effort. I'm getting my broom from the changing rooms and flying to my window."

I heard Al sniggering at this from behind me and I smiled shouting "Fine have it your way lazy bones! See you tomorrow!"

"Night, losers!" he shouted back and disappeared into the door of the changing rooms.

We started to walk back to the castle again side by side. It was starting to get dark already and walking in silence I could hear Al's steady breathing beside me. We were almost at the edge of the pitch when I noticed Al disappear from my peripheral vision. I turned around to face him. He had stopped walking a couple of metres behind me and was staring into space, looking blank when he said something I never expected him to "Watch the sunset with me Isobel"

I stared at him blankly "Excuse me?"

He turned his head towards me, a smile growing on his face "Watch the sunset with me"

"But it's almost curfew. We've never stayed out after curfew before in our lives. It's against the rules!"

He was full on grinning now. He looked so excited as he closed the distance between us in two long strides, stopping to stand about a foot away from me. My, that's closer than I thought it would be. "Come on Isobel! When do we ever do anything against the rules and curfew-breaking is barely rule breaking! Everyone has to do it at some point at Hogwarts! Come on, please!"

"Give me at least three good reasons why I should and I might just consider it" I replied smiling mischievously. He narrowed his eyes at this and smiled.

"Okay. One: I love sunsets. They're the second best time of day (after sunrise), two: I've never stopped and made a point of sitting down to watch one but hey there's a first time for everything eh? and finally…" he paused, his smile fell and he looked me straight in the eye, deadly serious.

"Three?" I prompted, staring right back.

"I want you to be there. Firsts for everything and firsts are so much better when you're with someone else, someone you really want to be with you, that is."

My stomach jolted and I heard myself agree as I watched the smile grow back on his face. What was I getting myself into? This is not something friends do! Sunsets are romantic! He should really find himself a girlfriend to do this kind of thing! Someone that he's not completely confusing by suggesting things like this, especially when he's in such a close proximity. 'He doesn't know you like him as anything more than a friend' I reminded myself silently 'This is all completely platonic for him'

He took me by the shoulders, turned me around and started leading me towards the stairs up to the stands.

It was right here that it occurred to me…if I don't sort out my stupid crush soon then this is going to be a long, long year.


	2. A Red-Handed Moment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Anything recognisable as a part of JK Rowling's world is not owned by me (even if I wish it was)

I walked dumbfounded and obediently towards the stands as Al pressed his hands to my back, leading my way across the grass. To an onlooker it may have appeared as though I was there with Al on the Hogwarts grounds that warm night in September but, in reality, my mind was far, far away having a very serious internal battle. I don't think it could even be counted as a battle, more like an internal civil war. The hopeless romantics vs the best friends.

"This is your chance! Just tell him how you feel!" chorused the romantics

"What is there to tell? I'm his friend, nothing more!" piped back the besties

"Come now, you know better than that."

"No, no I don't. We're friends and it ends there."

"Oh you don't, do you? Then try and explain that feeling that bubbles up to your chest when he smiles because of something you said or how your skin burns where you can feel his finger tips on your back through your shirt or how he instantly cheers you up just by being there…not even saying anything, just…being there. Huh? Please explain how that is 'just friends', cause I'd be really interested to know."

"Shit…"

"Heelllloooo! Earth to Iso!" a faint voice broke through the sounds of battle-axes and swords

"You alive in there?" the voice got louder and I finally tuned into the fact that we had reached the stairs to the stands. Al was standing in front of me, holding my shoulders, about three inches from my face staring me dead in the eye. Oh God…

"Umm…" It was all I could manage. I was still half brain-dead from the intense argument I had been having with myself.

"I'm going to do something irrational if you don't snap out of this trance Iso! I'm seriously getting worried now!" He waited a second and I didn't reply. What is wrong with me! My throat was dry, my tongue was stuck to the roof of my mouth and if i had tried to say anything it wouldn't have sounded much more than a croak.

"Okay here goes." He said it more to himself than anything and that was when it happened. He pulled me towards him and pressed his lips to mine. I eyes sprung wide and suddenly I was very aware of my surroundings.

I pushed off him and jumped back, covering my mouth with my hand. My first kiss ever was just with Albus freaking Potter. "WOW! DUDE!" I shouted my hand still hovering over my lips. No way was I getting stuck in that quicksand. Kissing him back when it was blatantly just a shock tactic would have opened a whole new can of worms. A can I was not prepared to deal with yet.

"Good! You're back! What happened? Actually I don't think I want to know. Now come on we're going to miss it!" he grinned and sprinted away up the stairs

"Al! Get back here!" I ran after him laughing despite my shock. That smile was infectious.

I caught up with him at the top of the stairs but he just walked away from me and sat down facing the direction of the sinking sun. I watched him for a moment from the doorway. He looked as though it had never happened. As though he had totally forgotten about kissing me already. I wish it were that easy for me…I could still feel it lingering on my lips and it was killing me. But there was this feeling I just couldn't kick that there was something bothering Al. I couldn't tell what…and anyone else probably wouldn't have spotted it…but there was something…knawing at the back of his mind. It's probably nothing…but still…no I'm probably imagining it.

I made my way over to him and sat down in the seat to his left. He looked totally fine at first glance but again there it was; that little niggle of concern in his eyes, that little light indicating that his brain was working overtime, despite appearance. I needed to say something so with a little smile on my face, staring straight ahead of me into the bright light of the sunset I said it, like word-vomit, I couldn't stop

"You just kissed me"

"Yeah…yeah it appears I did…" It was obvious he was deep in thought

"You, Albus Severus Potter, just kissed me, Isobel West Monroe…your best friend"

"That is what just happened, yes" This time he glanced in my direction and appeared to make up his mind about whatever internal battle he was having cause he leaned back into the chair and relaxed "Look, you were really, really worrying me so I thought of the most shocking thing I could do to wake you back up! I think it's best if we keep this between us and forget about it okay?"

"Right." I don't know why I was even hopeful. We're just friends. Just friends. It's not like he just stole my first kiss from me or anything. For one stupid little moment I had let myself believe that what I was feeling was real but now I know I was just mistaken. I know for sure that he doesn't want anything to happen…and neither do I. "Anyway what about this sunset eh?" I turned and smiled at him, playfully nudging him in the side, and pushed any thought about first kisses out of my head.

"Right" he replied with a wide smile, throwing an arm over my shoulder.

_________________________________

I woke up to something glaring in my eyes. I rubbed them, looked up groggily and found three smiling faces looking down at me.

"Morning Sunshine" sang the one holding the mirror that was shining light in my eyes. Scorp?

I looked around with sleepy, half closed eyes. Where was I? I turned my head and came face to face with Al, breathing deeply and apparently asleep. I felt a warm arm around my waist and a hand resting on my hip and it dawned on me…my friends just found me sleeping, wrapped up in my best friend's arms having clearly stayed out all night with each other…this must look so bad! I roused Al awake while Rose, Aiden and Scorp just leant on the barrier and watched us, not saying a word.

He blinked a few times and cleared his throat "Morning" he croaked, smiling down at me. If I was shocked to still be on the Quidditch Pitch then he certainly wasn't. I didn't say anything though, I just inclined my head towards out three visitors. He noticed them and sat up, withdrawing his arm from around my waist.

I suddenly felt very cold.

"Good morning friends" He said casually.

"And to you Romeo" replied Aiden.

"Now I know what you're thinking-" Al started but was interrupted by Rose. She issued an excited squeal, the like of I have never heard before, and especially not from her.

This is where Scorp came into his own and said the most sensible thing I think I've ever heard him say "Rose, stand down. Let them explain." he indicated for Albus to continue.

"Now I definitely know what you're thinking" Al looked pointedly at Rose "but this is all completely innocent with a simple explanation.. Now, Rosie please don't go all prefect on this but we wanted to break the rules" Rose's brow furrowed at that "and we decided that the best idea was to stay out after curfew. I mean how hard could it be to avoid Filtch? James does it all the time!"

"You are so lucky I didn't find you on my own Albus Severus Potter!" Rose's mood had quite turned now, she wasn't just prefect Rose. She was angry prefect Rose. "James! I expect this from James but not from you of all people! Your mother will find out about this I guarantee it!"

The colour drained from Al's face. "Not mum. Don't tell mum! Please Rosie! I'll do anything you want! Let's just not be hasty shall we" We all knew Albus would rather get eaten by a basilisk than face one of his mother's raging torrents. He'd seen it happen to James all too often to cross her. Rose seemed to cheer up all of a sudden, a mischievous smile spreading on her face.

"Fine. You owe me one favour. Whatever I like, to be disclosed at a later date, in return for not telling Aunt Ginny."

"Fine, fine whatever you want. Can we please just go for breakfast now?"

Aiden burst in to the conversation all of a sudden "Yes! Breakfast! Now we're talking! That is the single smartest and most useful thing you have ever said Al"

"Umm…thanks? I guess…"

"Yeah I'm not sure that's a compliment Al" I commented.

Scorpius suddenly started laughing and grabbed on to mine and Al's hands, hauling us up from the seats "Well it's been an eventful morning already don't you think! Now lets put it behind us and eat something!"

"Good idea" Aiden said and started walking away followed by Scorpius and Rose. I started to follow them but as I started to walk away I felt Al's hands on my waist and his breath on my ear, pulling me close into him. Why is he torturing me like this?! "I think we may have angered the Rose" he whispered from behind. Even though I couldn't see him I could tell from the tone of voice that he had that stupid, stupid lopsided smile on his face and I hated that I was able to sense it. All I could manage was a smile and a small laugh. I don't even know if it could be counted as a laugh, more like a sudden exhale.

Unbeknownst to either of us at the time but Rose was taking a sneaky glance back at the two of us standing like this and that same mischievous grin, she seemed to love so much, appeared again as she looked at us.

___________________________________

We were sitting in the Great Hall wolfing down eggs and bacon and Albus decided to be the first to break the sound of chomping with conversation "Why were you guys even out on the Quidditch Pitch this morning anyway?

It was Scorp who answered first from my left hand side "Well, Emma woke up and noticed you weren't there, Izzo, so came and got us and we started looking for you. Simple as."

"Did you not notice I wasn't here to meet you like always?" Al whined pouting at Scorpius

"In all honesty? No…and I'm pretty sure I could have gone the rest of the day without worrying." replied Scorp smiling "Actually no that's a lie. I would maybe have gotten concerned when you didn't show up to shovel food into your gob hole at lunch."

Al flicked a bit of toast at Scorp and continued with his breakfast.

"Where are Emma and Jacinta?" I interjected

"Oh probably still looking for you two. We took the grounds, they took the castle" Aiden replied through a mouthful of bacon.

"What?!" They were still looking for us? "That'll take them hours! Did you not even think about telling them you found us!"

"Oh so you found them did you? Thanks for sharing ass-hat" came a voice from behind us

Scorp turned around just in time to get walloped over the head by Jacinta, the source of the voice. She shoved us apart and sat beside me, Emma doing the same thing on the other side with Aiden and Rose.

"Okay, okay so we forgot! We're sorry!" pleaded Aiden to Jacinta

"Ugh, it's okay, forget about it" Wow…did Jacinta really just back down that easily? Wait a minute…is there something going on here? I froze and noticed that Aiden was looking at Jacinta, a small smile playing on his lips and she was returning it, looking down shyly. Now this is a sudden change of heart from my girl, Jacinta.

"Ahem" I cleared my throat to break the silent flirting going on

Jacinta snapped back to reality "I'm just glad you guys are okay! Where were you anyway?"

"Yeah I'd be interested to know too Isobel" Emma piped up

"Well you see.." Scorp started up relaying the story of their search animatedly. I was laughing at his dramatics when I spotted Rose looking at me. She started slyly signalling for me and her to go so we could talk. Once I picked up the message we both silently slipped away, Al being the only once noticing me go. He looked at me curiously and I only shrugged in reply. He knew as well as I did what Rose wanted.

We exited the hall together in silence and walked out into the crisp air, heading down towards the lake. When we reached the shore, chatting about the direct trend between Professor Trelawney's age and the thickening of her glasses, we sat down on the grass and fell silent, an uncomfortable, unasked question hanging in the air.

"So? You must have gotten me down here to talk to me about something important" I start

"Can I ask you something?" She sounded concerned

"Uhm yeah of course, ask away" I said smiling but I was starting to get a little worried

"Do you like Al?"

"Of course I like Al! He's my best friend!" I answered taken aback, hoping to God she didn't mean it in the way I thought she meant

"You know what I mean, Isobel"

I sighed and considered telling her the truth for a moment but before I had even properly made up my mind my instinctive defence mechanism betrayed me and I heard myself respond with a resounding "No"

"Okay…so we're going to pretend I believe you. Whether you like him or not there's still something on your mind." I started to object but she continued "Don't pretend that there's not. I can see it. Something niggling at the back of your mind. It appeared this morning and I know that cause you've been drifting off, thinking about it when you think no one's paying attention at breakfast. What happened last night?"

My breath stuck in my throat in shock "So what about those eggs this morning eh? Eggy or what?"

"Don't even think about changing the subject Isobel West Monroe!"

Knowing I wouldn't get away alive without telling her I groaned and lay back on the grass, covering my beet-red face with my arm "Albus kissed me" I said with a muffled voice

She smiled and replied "Excuse me you'll have to say that again. I didn't quite hear that"

I bolted upright and looked at her exasperatedly. She had definitely heard me. "Albus Severus Potter KISSED me okay? Happy now?"

"I knew it! What did you say? Did you kiss him back? That little bugger owes me a galleon!"

"Calm down! It was just a shock tactic okay?" I let the sadness in my voice at the last bit betray me slightly but I recovered my composure in time to say "I was acting like a brain-dead idiot and he needed to do something to snap me out of it"

"Maybe so but he didn't need to kiss you. Did you not wonder why that was the first thing he could think of? If it had been me or Scorp or Emma or anyone what do you think we'd have done?"

"How am I supposed to know!"

"We'd have gone for a good old slap you idiot!" She exclaimed, laughing

"So what you're saying is…." I let my inner romantic take over for a second and looked at Rose with a renewed hope in my eyes

"Yes! You blind fool! I'm sure he likes you. Take a chance Izzo. Don't let him pass you by."

I crashed back down to earth. What was she saying? Even if he did like me we would no doubt break up eventually, probably over something I did, and he'd never talk to me again. I do like him like that but not as much as I value our friendship. He's such a huge part of my life that I don't think I could last that long without him.

"Okay look, just cause he stole my first kiss doesn't mean that it means anything or ever will. I love Al. I love him as a friend and I value that friendship too much"

"That was your first kiss?"

Really Rose? That's what you took away from my well calculated sentence? "It may have been" I reply, the colour rising in my cheeks.

"Wow…that's pretty big"

"Yeah I guess it is. I never really thought of it being a big thing"

"But hey! It could have been worse eh? I mean your first kiss with your best friend, someone you love and trust. That's better than some boy in a game of drunken spin the bottle." She said smiling at me

"I suppose it is" I replied smiling to myself, looking down at my hands "I suppose it is"


	3. A Momentous Mistake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Anything recognisable as a part of JK Rowling's world is not owned by me (even if I wish it was)

8am. Monday morning. Novemeber 10th. Head in my hands, falling asleep in my cereal. Have I ever mentioned I'm not a morning person? Especially not Monday Morning. I felt someone sit down beside me in silence. So Al has decided to grace us with his presence has he? A couple minutes passed and he seemed to make no move, not even to get breakfast, so I decided to peek at him. Y'know, just to check he's alright.

I groaned and looked up out my hands "Hey, Al you alriiiii…."

Definitely not Al.

Great. James freaking Potter. Just what I want to have to deal with right now. "Morning Sunshine" he grinned

"Morning dear" I replied trying to sound nice, failing miserably I might add

"Now. I know that the last couple of times you've rejected me…"

"Try last couple hundred times" I muttered to myself

"…but this time just hear me out, 'kay?" he continued, pretending he hadn't heard me.

I sighed and replied "Fine, sock it to me, you have one minute" despite my constant annoyance at James I don't think I could ever bring myself to dislike him and I never actually want to intentionally hurt him…which just makes his whole infatuation with me all the more complicated.

"I would love if you would oblige me so much as to join me on the next Hogsmede trip? I promise it will be fun! We can do whatever you want! Honeydukes? Okay. Shrieking Shack? No problem! Hog's Head? Slightly creepy joint, but I'm there! Seriously. Anything" he finished up, smiling

"Look James, you're a top guy. I mean that. But…"

"There's always a but…" he cut me off mid-sentence "don't finish that thought. Just think it over today. Come and find me later this evening in the Gryffindor common room? ...Please?"

He sounded so hopeful. I could give him that much, couldn't I? One day to let him think I'm actually considering his offer?

"Sure. I'll think about it." I smiled at him, the first genuine smile I've given him in a long while

"Yes! Great! Brilliant! I'll see you later then!" he said jumping up off the bench, grinning like a maniac but just as he was about to walk away he spun back around and added "The password's 'Flobberworm' by the way"

"Okay, I'll remember" I laughed

"Right, okay, yes, bye" he replied, spinning on his heel and sprinting down the side of table, head-first into Albus, who had been groggily making his way towards me.

"Sorry little bro!" James said, still grinning and hauling Al up off the ground, who just looked confused if nothing else.

Al said nothing so James just patted the dust off his robes and continued on over to his friends in a brisk walk.

I was still smiling to myself when Al sat next to me, scratching his head in sleepy confusion.

"What is wrong with James this morning? Why is he so hap-" He questioned and paused mid-sentence "Wait…no? Really? No…you wouldn't have…would you?"

"Spit it out Einstein"

"You didn't say…yes…did you?" he stammered out

"Al-"

"After all this time?"

"Al stop-" he looked far too distraught about this

"But you rejected him so many times"

"Al, listen a second-"

"Why now? Did he change tactics? Did he offer you something? Did he-"

Drastic action was needed.

"Albus Severus Potter! You shut up and listen to me right now!" I found myself on my feet and the majority of the hall had stopped their conversations to look at us. I couldn't take much more of this. I was angry at Al for the first time in what felt like forever and it was all over some boy. Not even some boy, his bloody brother for Merlin's sake! These Potter boys are going to be the death of me yet and just to top it all off, everyone was now staring and me and I Goddamn hate attention! I grabbed Al by the wrist and pulled him out the Hall, away from prying eyes and nosy ears.

I dragged him through the Entrance Hall, up the stairs and kept going in silence until we were somewhere on the fourth floor…I think…to be quite honest I was kind of lost. Damn moving staircases. I'll never get used to them.

"What the hell Al?!" being annoyed at Al was something else I don't think I'll ever get used to. I could already feel my resistance slipping away. I'm not one for confrontation, okay? I would rather just be friends again but I have to do this. He has to know that I am to be listened to…and rudeness just gets on my nerves. It's been almost two months since the Quiddich Pitch incident and I am definitely over him. Don't look at me like that! It's true! I just really need to know what's going on in his head right now. That was a rare moment of raw emotion there with Albus. I'm a bit worried.

"It's weird you going on dates with my brother…I know I always joked about you saying yes eventually but I never actually thought you would"

"Al. You still haven't even let me explain yet!"

"But I know that look on James' face. He's got something he wants and what else could it be other than you? I just know it!"

Just some thing that James wants am I? You're skating on thin ice now Albus Potter. Right, he's getting an earful for that one alone.

"For the last time Al, shut up and listen to me!" I stepped towards him and was now about half a foot away, getting more annoyed with every word he said

He gulped visibly and said nothing. I took this as my cue to start.

"First things first Albus. I am not some possession to be had. Never, ever again describe me as some thing that your egotistical brother has managed to claim." I prodded my finger into his chest, stepping forward while pushing him back a step further "I may come across as your stereotypical, quiet Hufflepuff but I am my own person and don't you ever forget it."

"Sorry-" he mumbled

"I'm not finished yet! I didn't say yes to James, I said I'd think about it." My voice dropped back to it's normal, albeit slightly quieter, self "I was in a good mood and I didn't think it could hurt to let him hope for a day and then break it to him gently, hopefully once and for all"

Silence.

I continued to look at my feet, waiting, waiting for something to happen. Still he said nothing.

I chanced a look up and him and found him staring down at me, looking guilty. But then there it was again, that faint internal battle in his eyes. He leaned in towards me and paused an inch from my face, I could feel his breath on my lips. For a moment I thought he might kiss me again but he seemed to change his mind, moved away and leant back against the wall, puffing air out through pursed lips. He just stated very simply "I'm sorry Isobel"

I smiled up at him, knowing I had got my point across and really just damn glad I could be his friend again. Being angry is exhausting.

"Apology accepted"

He smiled back, reached out and pulled me into a hug, burying his face in my hair and mumbling into it "I should have listened to you, I know that. I was just so confused. You deserve so much better than my stupid older brother, you are so much more than those random fangirls he likes to show off." He moved away and held my face in his hands, looking me straight in the eye. "You are my best friend and I love you. You know that."

It wasn't a question. It was a statement. I did know and I could feel my face getting warm. I just wish he meant more than love for a friend.

I was falling back into an old habit here. I had to break the tension. Quick. I grinned and punched him in the arm.

"Ouch! What was that for? I thought I just apologised!" he groaned, rubbing the spot I hit.

"Idiot! We're definitely late for class now!" I said still grinning

"How's that my fault?!"

"It just is okay. Now come on!" I grabbed his hand and, dragging him behind me, steered us down the corridor towards potions.

_____________________________________

I flopped down on the sofa in the common room, dropped my bag next to me on the floor and sighed very loudly and very obviously.

The Hufflepuff common room is one not often seen by outsiders, mostly because outsiders never seem to care about Hufflepuff enough to want to see it but that's what I find makes it all the more special. Circular in shape, you get in by tapping a rhythm on the second barrel from the bottom, middle of the second row, in the corridor by the kitchens. The floor is dark and wooden and the walls painted yellow with patches of ivy growing on them, reaching upwards towards the light. The windows are round and porthole-sized all around the room, built high up the wall on the inside but at ground level on the outside so if you were to climb up and look out them you would find yourself level with the grass. Albus and I used to spend many a night in first year clinging to the ivy and crawling out onto the grass, just to sit in the open air. One thing all Hufflepuffs have in common is a love of living things so our windows are almost always open in the Summer, letting the room breathe and filling it with the smell of earth and grass. This helps with the growth of the plants which are everywhere round the room, in pots sitting on shelves around the room, growing out of the floorboards like the ivy or even hanging from the roof in hanging baskets. Instead of going up the stairs to your dorms, like all the other houses seem to do, we have two staircases that wind downward into the ground through small, round doors that you have to duck to fit through. It's filled with many over-stuffed armchairs and sofas, upholstered in yellow and black. All-in-all the Hufflepuff common room, much like how Ravenclaw feels like a library or Gryffindor, a social gathering, Hufflepuff is home.

"Busy day?" a voice came from the corner of the room

"You have no idea!" I spied Emma curled up in a big armchair, staring into the fire.

"Go on then, tell me. I know you're dying to complain to someone" She said smiling cheekily at me.

I'm not one to turn down an offer like that "Well first of all I was late for Potions all because of a stupid argument with Albus so Professor Diggby shouted at me, the evil old bugger-"

"Old? He's hardly old. He's like 35!"

"Are you going to listen to me complain or not?"

"Okay, okay sorry. Go on."

"Yes well after I got out of potions I tripped on someone's old ink pot on my way up the stai-"

"Wait right there! Back up….what argument with Al?" She looked up at me confused

"Oh I just had a stupid fight with Al. It's not a big deal" I said shrugging it off, hoping she'd leave it alone.

"A fight between you two is a rare thing indeed. It's most definitely a big deal. What was it about?" I didn't really want to talk about it to Emma to be honest. She's one of my closest friends but I knew she would read things into us fighting about a boy. I know that she thinks Albus and I are soul mates even though she refrains from mentioning it. So in return for not bugging me about it I pretend not to know about the bet she has with Rose about the timing of our, apparently inevitable, relationship.

"It was just about this damn James situation"

"What? Why? Albus has been completely fine until now…why freak out now?"

"Well…the situation kinda changed this morning a bit but no way as drastically as Albus thought it had" I wish we could drop this now…surely that's enough information to keep her going.

"Why? How has it changed?!" Okay apparently not. If there's one thing Emma's good at it's being a nosy bugger. Somehow I can never say no to her though.

"Right but this is the last I'm talking about it. Albus thought I'd accepted James and kind of freaked out and he wouldn't let me explain that I'd only told him that I'd think about it"

"Why?"

"I don't know. Since when could I read Al's mind?"

"No not that. Why did you say you'd think about it? You've never had any reservations about saying no to him before…why not just say no again?"

UGH! Now I had to explain myself to her "Well obviously I told Al I was going to say no but thinking about it now I might accept him…" I mused half to myself and half to Emma "Just for one date though!" I added hastily from the look of shock on her face

"Do you…like James?" why was she looking so worried?

"I don't like like him…but I don't hate him either" it was true. I just wanted this awkward situation to end.

"You won't go through with it"

"What makes you say that? If I go on a date with him he'll soon come to realise that we're not a very good match and then he'll stop pursuing me"

"Either that or you'll realise that you do actually quite like him"

"But I don't." Can she not just trust that I'm doing the right thing! I don't want to have to reject him anymore. I want it to go back to normal.

"Not right now…but James is a charmer, he'll soon win you over. You're already cracking by saying yes." She glanced over past my shoulder then back to me, looking worried.

I turned around slowly, grimacing and, just as I suspected, met the wide eyes of Albus Potter, standing at the top of the staircase from the boys' dorms. How much had he heard?

"Hey Al-" I said,standing up, but before I could finish he sprang to action and walked briskly towards the barrel-door, saying nothing "Albus! Where are you going?"

"Just to study with Scorp. I'll be back later"

"But you don't have any books!" I shouted as he disappeared from view. All that answered me was the slam of the barrel door behind him.

For the second time this evening I groaned loudly and fell onto the sofa, but this time face first, burying my head into a cushion.

"How much do you think he heard?" I said into the pillow

"I'm sure not much…I mean he had to find out eventually that your plan was to say yes to James"

"Yeah but I hadn't actually decided yet! I can't." I rolled over and stared at the ceiling. Why was this so complicated? Couldn't I go back to thinking all boys had germs because I was perfectly happy in those days.

"Just make up your mind"

"No. I mean I can't do it. I can't say yes and lead him on like that."

"Good. Good choice." decided Emma but I barely heard her, I was too deep in thought. Albus…What am I going to do about you Albus?

"I've got to say no…for Albus" I murmured to myself, barely audible. "For Albus"

"Excuse me? Are you and Albus-"

I stopped her before she could speculate any further out loud, letting her say anything that might reveal my secret out loud is a bad idea, I'm a terrible liar. So I jumped up and exclaimed "Well I think I'd better be off! I'm currently due in the Gryffindor common room to break a boy's heart."

"Have fuuuun!" I heard Emma shout as I left the common room through the barrel door Al had left through not five minutes ago. Emma was far too sarcastic to be a Hufflepuff. I swear she belongs in Slytherin, the chancer.

Man I was not looking forward to this. Damnit Albus! Why did he have to go and make things so bloody complicated. If it hadn't been for him I could just have grown up a normal girl and swooned when James asked me out. We could have dated, fallen madly in love, gotten married and had lots of little James and Isobels but no, Albus had to go and be my best friend and teach me how to be weird and have fun and show me what it felt like to really, really love someone. Shit. Shut up brain, shut up.

I just can't make up my mind can I? One minute it's all 'he's just my friend' and the next it's 'I have to accept the facts that I like him'. I know. I hate me too.

All the while as I was walking to the Gryffindor common room my mind lingered on Albus. Before I knew it I was standing outside the Fat Lady's portrait acutely aware of her waving at me, trying to get my attention. I hadn't even thought of what I was going to say…how would I break it to him? I needed to find a way that would make it obvious that this had to stop. Make it final.

I took at deep breath, once I said the password and walked in there was no going back, no chickening out, no running to Al and hiding from James for the rest of the year. That last one sounded far too appealing at that moment. All I'd have to do is spin on my heels and run to the Ravenclaw tower where he'd be studying with Scorp. I could hide under the desk until the end of term.

No. I needed to get a hold of myself. I may not be a Gryffindor but Hufflepuffs have their own strength.

"Flobberworm"

The portrait hole swung open to reveal a loud chatter coming from within. As I stepped through, heart in my throat, I could have sworn I heard the fat lady say "Well finally! Damn 'puffs" I tried my best to ignore her and dragged my heavy feet towards the noise.

I rounded the corner into the room and looked around. The first thing I noticed was that the room was completely full of chattering groups of people, not just from Gryffindor but from all the other houses too. There were even a few Slytherins dotted around the room. It really was a social hub this place. As my eyes gazed around the room I saw James sitting on the windowsill at the edge of his group of friends, looking down at his hands and tearing up what looked like a piece of paper. He looked so fidgety and so worried and I suddenly felt the need to escape, to go anywhere, anywhere but here. I was too late even to run now though, Freddie Weasley had spotted me. He nudged James in the side and pointed to me from across the room. A huge grin cracked across James' face as he made eye contact with me. All I could manage was a weak smile in return. The guilt, oh man the guilt. He leapt up from where he was perched and bounded over to where I was standing, stopping about a foot in front of me, trying to look cool but failing miserably. It was probably something to do with the trail of destruction he'd left behind him, in his haste he had pushed a first year over, knocked a chair to the ground and elbowed Freddie in the side who was now swearing violently at him.

"Hi" he said trying to sound as suave as possible. I could't help but laugh when he was acting so decidedly hopeless, it was something very far from his usual, flirtatious self and, ironically, I was finding it very hard not to find it infinitely more charming than the way he normally acted around girls.

"Hey James" I replied not quite sure where to start

"So…I guess this means you have an answer for me, huh?" he gulped visibly. Right, okay I guess we're cutting right to the good stuff.

I suddenly felt very aware of my surroundings and especially how James' commotion had drawn the attention of the immediate area. I looked around the common room and opened my mouth to speak

"Look James, you're a great friend and I really don't want to ruin it. I don't think about you like that and I'd be lying to both myself and you if I told you that I might be able to grow to see you in that light…because the truth is that I am most painfully and irrevocably in love with someone else, someone I don't think I could ever give up on." Is what I might have said if right at that moment I hadn't happened to look over James' shoulder and see something that made my heart break clean in half.

My eyes were drawn to a flash of blonde hair, belonging to a certain Scorpius Malfoy, who tried to duck and nudged someone sitting in the seat next to where he was crouching like an idiot. I followed him with my eyes and came face to face with a dumbstruck Albus Potter, eyes wide and unblinking. A rabbit caught in the headlights. He had some stupid Gryffindor floozie perched on his knee, drawing circles on his chest. I wanted to cry, to turn and run, to push the girl off him, to march right over there and slap him in the face all at once. But instead I did something much worse.

I turned my head back to the boy standing in front of me, placed a sweet-looking smile on my face and said "Yes James, I'd love to go to Hogsmede with you."


	4. An Awkward Moment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Anything recognisable as a part of JK Rowling's world is not owned by me (even if I wish it was)

I hate my brother for loving her. I really do. I love him because he's my brother, I hate him for choosing her…yet at the same time…I don't blame him in the slightest. She's beautiful. Not conventionally. She doesn't look like a supermodel, her bottom teeth are crooked and her skin's not flawless but there's something about her that makes her endlessly fascinating…and too good for someone like me, or James. She deserves a prince.

"You're staring again" a voice interupted my thought process. I tore my eyes away from the Ravenclaw table where Isobel was talking animatedly with Emma and Jacinta

"Hey Rosie" I glanced over at her and went back to 'reading my book', loosely translated to 'thinking about the hopelessness of my situation with Isobel'

"You realise your book is upside-down, right?"

"Whaa…" I said trailing off, not really listening to her

"Your book; upside-down" she waved a hand in front of my face to snap me out of my daze. I returned reluctantly back to reality with a sigh.

I gave her an incredulous look and said "What? Pfft, no it's n-" I cut myself off the moment I realised she was telling the truth, righted my book, cleared my throat and tried to look casual as if it had been that way all along.

"You're fooling no-one, you know. Especially not me." she said it so matter-of-factly that I knew she was right. I was an idiot, a stupid, lovesick idiot.

"Why, I have no idea what you're talking about" That's right Albus, play the fool, the fool that you are. She'll see right through you. Idiot.

"Mmhmmm" she hummed "You know she really wants you, right?"

"No she doesn't. James is charismatic and exciting. Why would she ever want me when she has the most popular boy in school wrapped around her little finger?" I huffed into the cereal she put in front of me.

"I KNEW IT!" she screamed so loudly I almost toppled backward off the bench. She must have noticed the disturbed looks the entire hall were now giving us cause she calmly cleared her throat and whispered the next bit through her teeth, not discreetly at all might I add "I knew you liked her. You kept telling me to shut up but you just admitted it! HAH!" her volume rose at the last bit again.

"Right that's enough" I hissed back, grabbed her wrist, stood up and pulled her behind me out of the hall. I pulled her into the entrance hall and out onto the grounds. The cold November air hit me like a slap in the face but it wasn't going to deter me. I turned around to face her, prepared to give her an earful. When I looked at her, however, she was wearing the biggest grin, despite the fact that she was hugging herself and shivering. Every ounce of annoyance I felt towards her in that moment melted away until it was gone completely. I simply sighed, took off my jumper and put it over her head. If she froze to death I would not want to answer to Uncle Ron or even worse…mum.

We stood in silence in the cold and I was trying to look anywhere but at Rose's manic grin. I glanced up from where I was staring at my feet. Bad idea. I quickly looked away from her and back to examining the ground but it was too late. A smile had already started to grow across my face until I was beaming from ear-to-ear. She then proceeded to jump up and down in an excited manner and punch me in the arm. I couldn't help but laugh and attempt to deflect the punches with my hands.

"Stop! Stop! I surrender!" I shouted, grabbing her wrists and stilling her punches.

She stopped, dropped her hands to her sides and looked up at me, still smiling widely. We stood like that, in silence for about a minute as I thought about the information I was about to divulge. I think I can trust her not to meddle. I think.

She eventually got fed up and prompted me "Soo…." accompanied by a nudge in the side.

"Soo…the thing is…: I trailed off

"Yes?" she prompted again

Deep breath Albus "The thing is…I think I really like her. As in really, really like her." I sank to the ground and lay back on the grass, sighed and continued. I couldn't actually believe I'd told someone. I felt so much better for it now, like it was a real thing. "It just kind of crept up on me. I wish it hadn't. Things were so much easier when I didn't want to rip James' hair out every time he tried to ask her out, or woo her, or even look at her Goddamnit…but I can't help it."

Insert squeal from Rose here. "This is fantastic Albus!"

It is? "It is?"

"Yes! Can't you see it? She likes you, you blockhead!"

"No she doesn't. She's going out with James and whether she likes me or not it'll be irrelevant when he wins her over" She smacked me over the head and I sat up rubbing the spot she hit, pained expression on my face "What was that for!?"

"For being a blind blockhead. There's only one chance for James to take her out before we break up for the Christmas holidays and that's the last Hogsmede weekend of the year, this Saturday. So just wait and see how that goes before shooting yourself in the foot and condemning yourself to a life of loneliness, okay? Then you can proceed to win her over" She stood up, brushed herself down, threw my jumper back at me and turned on her heel back towards the castle, leaving me on the grass.

I walked back to the castle humming a tune. It sounded vaguely like some muggle song that Isobel made me listen to once…long ago. Some great display of affection? Is that what Rose is talking about? That I need to declare my love in some kind magnificent fashion in front of the whole school? Nah. That's not me. If I were a knight of the round table or a Rider of Rohan all I would have to do is come galloping up to her on my loyal steed, sweep her off her feet and kiss her…but I'm not, am I? I'm just a boy. A boy who can't even live in the real world for long enough to stop his best friend from slipping through his fingers. Oh okay no, too angsty. Pull yourself together you pillock.

No matter how hard I tried I couldn't get her off my mind but I figured that trying to stop thinking about her and undoubtably failing was better that not trying at all. My problem was that I loved and hated thinking about her all at once. I loved thinking about the things she does, and her laugh and time spent together. I hated inevitably coming around to the fact that she was away to go on a date with my cooler, older brother. It killed me.

I remembered the new book I had bought in a muggle bookshop across the road from the Leaky Cauldron and decided it was the perfect way to distract myself, so when I reached the entrance hall I headed down towards the common room. It was described on the back cover as "A thumping good detective-ghost-horror-whodunnit-time travel-romantic-musical-comedy-epic" by the author so it seemed like the perfect thing to sink into and forget about real life for a while. It would just be my luck, however, that on that walk to the barrel-door I would bump right into the girl I'm trying so very hard to forget.

"Oh hey Iso" I mumble, not really knowing what to say. Pathetic isn't it? Best friends for 5 years and suddenly I seem to have lost the ability to communicate with her.

It did come as a surprise, however, when she stopped right in her tracks, looked at me, glared at me, looked back at her feet and continued past me.

I turned around and watched her walk away. "Isobel! Wait!" She didn't stop. Weird. What's going on? I stood there dumbfounded, staring at the spot she had disappeared around the corner into the entrance hall. We don't fight. Other than that one yesterday that lasted about ten minutes it's just not a thing that we do. I needed to know so I ran after her.

I rounded the corner and caught a glimpse of her escaping out of the door, into the grounds. I ran to the door, she was stalking away from me across the grass "Isobel! Wait up!" Once glance was all she gave me before continuing on her way. I had to flippin' run to catch up with her.

"Isobel! Why won't you talk to me?" I pleaded as I drew up alongside her. All I earned was another glance and a blink of the eyes. "At least give me a clue!"

She stopped so suddenly I almost tripped over my own feet trying to stop with her. She slowly turned to face me, her eyes so wide and sad that it broke my heart just to look at her. "Do you not know? Can you honestly not see what you did?"

No. I tried to say it but that stupid single word would not escape my mouth. Fortunately, as Iso always managed to do, she read my mind and took my silence as a resounding no.

"Well Albus, I can't tell you. This time you have to figure it out for yourself." What was she talking about?! What could possibly have happened between last night and now? She was the one that said yes to James and unknowingly broke my heart. She gave me one last small, sad smile and turned to walk away. Almost like reflex, I reached out at the last minute and grabbed her hand, stopping her from going. I looked into her eyes trying to find the right thing to say but nothing would come to mind. Just kiss her. Pull her into your arms and kiss her you bumbling fool. I was in some sort of trance, it just made sense. I pulled on her hand and she willingly followed. I took a step into her, bringing her so close our noses we almost touching. My free hand wrapped around her and pulled her against me. All the while I was still sinking into the deep grey pools of her eyes. I bowed my head down and mere millimetres from her lips I could see every detail of her face, every grey fleck in her iris. I could feel every slow, deep breath she took, smell the fruit in her shampoo. The touch of her hand in mine was driving me to insanity. I was so completely enveloped and enamoured by her presence, pulling me in further and further with every rise and fall of her chest. Nothing ever works the way it does in the stories though and this particular scenario was no exception to the rules. What happened next brought me cruelly crashing back to reality.

"Holy shit" a voice cut through the aura surrounding us, like a knife in cheese. A knife is too blunt and cheese is too hard to describe how unwelcome this particular 'Holy Shit' was. It was more like a bloody machete slicing through butter.

We turned and saw Scorpius staring open-mouthed at us, Isobel and I jumped away from each other so fast if he'd blinked he'd have missed it. We created at least three metres of space between us in that split second. Never have I wanted to kick someone in the balls as much as I wanted to right then.

I cleared my throat, glancing between Scorp and Isobel, not quite knowing what to say "Well…uhm…I've got to…uhm…"

"I really ought to be going. I need to go…do that thing I was on my way to do…uhh…yeah…bye" she flashed me a quick smile, spun on her heels and started a brisk walk back towards the castle.

A thick silence lingered in the air around me and Scorp.

"Dude…I am SO sorry" he eventually cut in.

"There's nothing to be sorry about. I was just…uh…she just had something in her eye is all" I grumped. I wasn't completely sure if I was annoyed that Scorp had interrupted us or that I had tried to kiss her, like an idiot, and almost ruined everything.

"Right okay. Sure thing. Anyway we have Care of Magical Creatures first thing today. You coming?" He said, awkwardly pointing down the hill.

"What? Oh right, yeah, school" We started walking in silence towards Hagrid's Hut.

"So you and Iso, eh?" he said, annoying, sly smirk plastered in place on his face. I don't usually find it annoying. Just when it's directed at me.

"No, and I would appreciate if you would just forget what you saw and not tell anyone."

"That looked like something was going on if you ask me" he grinned.

I stopped, turned in front of him and said through gritted teeth "I swear it, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, if you ever tell anyone what you saw I will punch you so hard you'll be sooking mushy banana through a straw for a month"

He laughed. Okay, well I guess threatening didn't work on him.

"You would never punch me Albus! You can't even squash a fly. You have to catch it and release it into the wild. Not going to lie though, I'm impressed you even tried to threaten me. Didn't know you had it in you mate." he told me, lines of laughter still etched around his eyes.

"Fine." I said defeated. "But please…just drop it?"

His face dropped to a concerned frown and he looked me straight in the eye, like he was reading my bloody soul or something. It was creeping me out, frankly, so I looked away from him and started back down the hill, dragging my feet as I went.

"Okay." he called after me

"Okay?" I turned to face him, walking backwards slowly

"Okay. Nobody will know." he said running to catch up "At least not from me" he punched me in the shoulder as I grinned at him and turned to walk forwards again. "On one condition"

Aaand there's what I was dreading. For being a Ravenclaw he really has far too many Slytherin traits. "Fine. What is it?" There'd be no escaping it now. If I didn't meet his condition then I definitely wouldn't put it past him telling the entire school and family about what he saw, consequently breaking James' heart and driving Isobel further from me than ever. He might even tell a few muggles if he could be bothered as well, just for good luck.

"I'm going to say a statement and I want you to give me a yes or no answer. Yes for true, no for false. Tell me the absolute truth. You can't lie and after you've answered I agree never to talk about it again. I mean, if that's what you want."

"Okay…?" Now I'm worried. Scorpius looks far to serious for his own good.

"You, Albus Potter, are in love with Isobel Monroe. Big time."

Silence. I was lost for words as I stared at him in disbelief. It took all of the courage I could muster to utter that one word I really didn't want to have to admit.

"Yes."

"Okay." a smile was spreading on his face until it was a fully grown grin. "I knew it. Kind of hurt you didn't tell me…but I knew it."

"Yeah, yeah okay you're super smart and awesome and all that but can we please drop it now, genius?"

"Fine." he said, followed by a low mutter "But I did know it"

"Shut up!" I laughed, punching him in the arm and running for my life. I did have to admit that I felt a lot better now that Scorp knew. Hiding things from close friends and family? Not my forte.

________________________________

"Hey Iso." Jacinta smiled at me as I entered Runes and plonked heavily into the seat next to her. I barely heard her however. Right then I had a certain black-haired, green-eyed,….great-smelling boy on my mind. I've never been that close to Al…I mean we've been close friends for years and years but I mean I've never been as physically close to him as I was when he held me right then. There's holding someone, like comfort between two friends or family and then there's holding someone…like that specifically. I'm not going to lie, right in that second it was wonderful. I just wish I knew what he was thinking. When I saw him walking down the corridor towards me I was so prepared to ignore him, give him the silent treatment. Lying to me, saying he was going to the Ravenclaw common room to study when his real motive was to go be with that blonde, Gryffindor tart, hurt me. How could he not see that? But he just had to go and ruin my resolve, like the stupid charming fool he is. Boys are so annoying!

"Isobel Monroe." Professor Clements voice rang through my reverie "I asked you a question. Would you care to answer it? Or would you prefer to share your thoughts, that are obviously so engrossing, with the entire class. It will give us all a treat."

"I-uh-I-emm" I felt a pinch on my leg and looked down. Jacinta was sliding a piece of paper slowly out from under her parchment with the question on it. God bless Jacinta, the hero. "It's - uh - Ancient Egyptians - I mean hieroglyphics, the Ancient Egyptians used hieroglyphics…Miss."

"Hmm…correct. Good thing Miss Evergreen over here is such a good friend." she said as she walked over and picked up the small bit of paper with Jacinta's handwriting scrawled over it. She held it up to the horn-rimmed glasses perched on the end of her bony nose and hummed "Surprising. Only the question. Well, Miss Monroe, since you did seem to know the answer, even if you weren't listening to me in the first place, I will let you off lightly. Ten points from Hufflepuff. Next time, pay apt attention." The 'puffs in the class all groaned at the points being deducted. Hufflepuff couldn't loose anymore points if we were even going to be in the running for the House Cup this year.

"But Miss! Please! I was-" I sprang up from my seat, trying to amend the situation, only to have it thrown back in my face.

"Hold your tongue Miss Monroe! Be happy it wasn't twenty points and a detention! Now sit back down before I change my mind! You have disrupted us enough today, thank you. Now everyone, page 322"

"She can be a right bitch sometimes, eh?" Jacinta murmured in my ear

"You're telling me" I grinned and whispered back. A loud snap, as Professor Clements thwacked her ruler off of the desk, whipped my attention back to the front of the class.


	5. A Midnight Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Anything recognisable as a part of JK Rowling's world is not owned by me (even if I wish it was)

I collapsed onto my bed, exhausted. It had been a looong couple days. After the incident on Tuesday morning on the grounds it'd gotten seriously awkward between Al and I and although we still hung out with the group together, we hadn't said much to each other at all. I hadn't actually spoken to him at all today. I got bored with it being awkward, in truth, I really did. As much as I loathed to admit it…I really missed the bugger. I missed being able to act like a complete loser around him and, for me, two days without letting out my inner-weirdo was a long time. Dammit when did I let him become such an essential part of my life? I let out a big sigh and thought of what I could do. It was only 8 o'clock and I was in no mood to socialise. Read a book? UGH! Effort! Homework? No! Even more effort! Listen to some music? Yeah that's a good idea…wait…my iPod doesn't work in Hogwarts. Goddamn muggle technology. I juggled with the idea of doing some schoolwork for a few minutes but in the end I opted for a shower then sleep. It was as good an idea as any so I grabbed my towel and PJs and headed for the bathroom.

Twenty five minutes later I emerged from the steam-shrouded room feeling refreshed and clean. Bliss. Clad in newly-laundered pyjama shorts and t-shirt I threw my clothes at the end of the bed, ready to crawl under my covers and fall into a deep sleep, only to find that it was already occupied.

"Emma."

"Isobel." She was sitting cross-legged in the middle of my bed, staring at me expectantly.

"…yes? Can I help you?"

"What's up with you? Rose and Aiden came down from the Gryffindor Tower for a game of exploding snap. Want to play?"

"I think I'm alright thanks." I said smiling at her. It was sweet of her to come and invite me to join.

"Awh come on!" She whined, grinning "I'll never forgive you if you don't!"

"Sure you will. Who else's Charms essay are you going to copy at breakfast tomorrow when you realise it's due after lunch?"

"Dammit! Scuppered! Anyway, please? Aiden and Al are already talking about wizard's chess and I really, really don't want to have to watch them argue over it!"

"No, really. I'm super tired." I feigned a yawn and added "You guys have fun though."

She narrowed her eyes at me and slowly answered "Okay…sure whatever you say." She hopped off my bed and turned to leave as I smoothed the Emma-print out of my covers. "Okay no, I change my mind. To Hell with your privacy! What is going on?" She spun round and exclaimed, making me jump in surprise.

"N-nothing." I stuttered out in shock.

"Cut the crap! You and Al have been acting weird around each other for the past two days!" I just stood there next to my bed, mouth hung slightly open at her sudden outbreak. When I didn't say anything she looked down at her feet, her voice dropped back to a normal level and she said "…and my question to you is…what's up with that?"

"It's really not that much. Things are just a little strange at the moment, it'll all sort itself out soon enough." I replied, mentally slapping myself to stop gawking.

"Please don't do this to me! I can tell something's bothering you and I feel so useless when I can't help!" Bless her, there was that Hufflepuff side, I always knew it was in there somewhere. I considered my options for a moment while she stood in silence. I could lie to her and tell her a load of rubbish…like that he hit me in the face with a bludger or something, but I couldn't really see the point anymore. She was one of my best friends and if I couldn't trust her with a secret then who could I trust? Apparently I had stayed silent too long because she huffed loudly and turned for the second time in the last 5 minutes "Fine, be like that"

"I like him!" I blurted, immediately covering my mouth.

She stared at me in silence as I covered my face with my hands and groaned inwardly when suddenly-

"I KNEW IT!" she screamed flying at me and pulling me into a crushing hug.

I took a minute to just be happy that I'd gotten it off my chest. It felt a lot more real now. Now it was out there, it was the truth, a truth I couldn't change for the world. Even if I wanted to.

"I knew it." She let go and grinned.

"Yeah, yeah I know, oh enlightened one."

"Tell me more!" her grin grew even bigger as she sat on the end of my bed like an expectant child waiting for her bedtime story.

"I don't know…"

"C'mon! Pleeeeaaasee! Pretty please! Pretty please with a cherry on top and sprinkles and glitter and all that tasty shit!"

"Charming."

"I know something happened! I mean you've liked him since at least the Summer holidays and it's never been this awkward!."

"How do you know how long I've liked him for?" I quizzed, slightly taken aback.

"Because it was so obvious…duh."

"Right…okay." It never failed to amaze me how well Emma knew me. She was the single most observant person I ever met. She was always so in tune with people, without them even realising most of the time. She had this incredible ability to see right through someone's facade, right to the real them, although she had the decency not to mention it most of the time.

"Yeah. So spill."

"Look, things have just changed a bit. We had kind of a…moment in the grounds the other day and I was so hopeful but then Scorpius interrupted us and I came to my senses! I mean I'm going on a date with his brother for God's sake! The only reason I'm going on this date is to try put James off me and let him down easily. It would just make me a first class bitch to snog his brother before I'd even tried to find a way out of this that didn't break James' heart in the process. Me and Al? It would never work. Under different circumstances…maybe…but not now that I've made it stupid and complicated." I took a deep breath and looked up at her, all the while she had sat silent and soaked up everything I had been saying.

She simply sighed and said "You're doing the right thing."

I smiled at her "Thanks. It really means a lot to hear that."

She stood up from the end of the bed and put her hands on my shoulders "Just sort out this stuff with James and then think about all the other stuff. You're a good person Isobel and I know what you're trying to do here is coming from the heart. I know you don't want to hurt James but he's pretty smitten with you so…just…just don't blame yourself if he does end up getting hurt, okay?"

"Okay." I replied. I wasn't convinced but I had to believe her to some extent that I was doing something right, she is very smart.

"Well goodnight." she said and opened the door to leave "Sleep well!" she added and flashed me a quick grin as she left.

____________________________________

"Iso."

"Mmmpphh"

"Isobel!" A whisper and a shake.

"Whaddyawantmmpphh"

"Iso. Wake up!" The voice broke through and shook me again.

I groggily and reluctantly allowed myself to be pulled from my dream. I rolled over, rubbed my eyes and opened them to find a face hovering over me.

"ARHHH-mmppphh" Albus' hand flew over my mouth and put the index finger of his other hand to his lips. He slowly let go of my mouth, keeping his finger pressed to his lips, anticipating me shouting at him. "Albus! What are you doing?" I exclaimed in a harsh whisper.

"Waking you up." He whispered back, smiling from where he was sitting half on me.

"Well DUH! Why are you waking me up?"

"You'll see." He smiled again and clambered up onto his knees, offering me his hand "Come with me."

I narrowed my eyes at him but slid my hand into his nonetheless and let him pull me up. He had piqued my curiosity now. I hopped off the end of my bed as quietly as I could and pulled on my dressing gown. We snuck over to the door and up the stairs. I could hear a soft clanking noise coming from Al's pockets and I tried to think what it could be and where he could possibly be taking me.

"Where are we going?" I whispered into the dark in front of me where I knew Albus was, a few steps above me.

"You'll see." His voice answered.

"You're starting to get annoying saying that." I mumbled, answered with a low laugh from Al.

When we reached the common room he turned over towards the wall opposite the door and it dawned on me where we were going. He remembered, the soft prat.

"I know where we're going!" I turned towards him standing in the dim light coming in through the window and grinned.

"Oh and where might that be?"

"Just lead the way, you pillock!" I laughed

He leapt over to me and threw his hand over my mouth for the second time that night "A little louder if you please! I don't think the Ravenclaw Tower heard you clearly enough!" he hissed

I grinned under his hand and licked it, making him to jump violently away from me and topple over a chair.

"What was that for!" He moaned and picked himself up from the floor. I would have helped him up had I not been doubled over in silent laughter. "Oh bah! Ladies first!" He said gesturing towards the wall of ivy and rubbing the back of his head.

I gripped on to one of the branches, still sniggering with laughter, and started climbing up the ivy, just like we used to do in first year. Whenever either of us were annoyed about something or were worried or even just couldn't sleep we'd do this. We'd climb up and sit outside. Sometimes we'd chat for hours on end, sometimes we'd play tig and tag in the dark and once, just after summer in third year when Albus got dumped for reasons he wouldn't even tell me, we just lay on the grass in silence and watched the stars. Granted we would pay for it the next morning in class when we were half asleep and getting points docked left right and centre for being tardy, but even when sitting in class, my head bobbing off the table, I would never regret doing it. I don't remember when the tradition died out…but one day it just sort of…stopped.

I pushed against the third window from the left and nudged it open, crawling out onto the grass. I turned back and stuck my head in to look for Al and found him staring right at me, three inches away. He swung his right arm up and pushed a couple blankets through the window into the gap between my chest and the ground.

"Budge over." He whispered "I'm not planning on hanging here all night."

"Oh sorry" I mumbled and crawled backwards out of his way, taking the blankets with me, so he could wriggle out of the porthole-sized gap and onto the grass.

"It's a tighter squeeze than I remember it being" he laughed

"Well you are a good couple feet taller and fairly broader across the shoulders than you were when you were twelve" I grinned back at him. He certainly was a funny sight lying face down on the grass, feet dangling into the common room.

"I have become a lot more strapping haven't I?" He stood up and stuck his chest out

"Yeah a strapping idiot maybe"

"Is that so?" He turned and grinned at me and before I knew it he'd jumped at me and was lifting me up over his shoulders

"Albus! Put me down!" I screeched "Put me down right now!"

"Well only if you're sure" he reasoned and, very unkindly, dumped me into a pile of leaves. I did however manage to grasp for his collar, snagging the front of his dressing gown and pulled him headlong, tumbling after me. I sat up in the leaves, shook myself down and found Albus lying across my legs, staring up at the sky, half covered in foliage. "Man, I've missed you!" he exclaimed, a lopsided, toothy grin plastered on his face as he shot all four limbs into the air and let them thump back to earth with a sigh, almost kicking me in the head in the process.

I raised my eyebrows, smiled back and replied "Albus dear, it's been two days."

"Two days?! Felt like a century! Don't tell me you didn't feel it too."

"I'll give you that…I felt like I'd lost a limb without you there…albeit a heavy, mostly lame, pretty useless limb…but a limb nonetheless."

To that I got no verbal reply, only a pile of leaves thrown in my face and the sound of Albus' ringing laughter echoing off the walls of the castle. I wasn't lying either…I had missed him…a lot…but he had hurt me. He had hurt me and it all came rushing back to me.

I couldn't even justify why it had stung so much seeing him with that girl. He doesn't owe me anything, we're not together, he's allowed to have girlfriends…even if I don't like the idea…I just wish he'd told me I guess.

"Who was she?" I mumbled so quietly it was almost to myself.

"Sorry?"

"The girl…in your lap in the Gryffindor common room the other night."

He crawled up so that he was lying next to me on his side and sighed. "She was no one." I snorted at him then which seemed to ruffle his feathers because he exclaimed further "No, really! She was no one, I didn't even know her name! I saw you come into the common room and I hoped you wouldn't see me so I pulled her in front of me and I think she got the wrong idea…"

I let it sink in for a moment that maybe I had jumped to conclusions prematurely…I was loath to admit it but I had. He didn't even know her name and he wouldn't lie to me about something like this…not me? Right?

I sat up and sighed, rubbing my hands over my face and puffing air into them. Al slowly followed suit so that he was directly beside me, leaning his weight on one hand, his chin hovering above my shoulder.

"You…you didn't know her?" I repeated his words uncertainly.

"No."

"Oh…well now I feel like a prize fool…" I murmured in reply, looking exclusively at anything but directly at Al. I felt like an idiot. I had flipped out about something that wasn't even my business and I was wrong.

I hate being wrong.

"Please don't…" Al practically whispered into my ear, the soft caress of his breath on my neck distracting me almost to the point of no return.

"Don't what?" I choked out, still trying desperately to avoid his gaze. I could feel it piercing into my left temple as he tried to read my thoughts.

"Don't feel like a fool…this is my fault. If I hadn't lied and tried to spy on you I wouldn't have needed to hide in the first place and you wouldn't've…umm…you wouldn't've…yeah" he faded off into a thick silence. Those unspoken words lingered around us, weighing down on our thoughts. Even though neither of us were willing to say what we were both thinking…that I wouldn't be going on a date with his brother.

I bit my lower lip and forced myself to turn to him, only to find he was sitting so close that when I turned my head the ends of our noses bumped against each other.

Noses bumped, breath mingled, eyes glued.

Another inch and lips would brush.

Oh no, oh no, ohhh no…not again. I had to stop this. What ever this was that kept happening between us I had to stop it.

I swiftly scooted back a foot and jumped to my feet.

"Friends?" I said, offering him my hand.

He looked to be contemplating something for a second but then grabbed my hand, pulling himself up to stand with me and gave my hand a firm shake "Friends."

I smiled, genuinely happy, that we were at least partly resolved. He dropped my hand, smiling back at me and reached for his pocket. He produced two bottles of butterbeer. So there was the source of the clanging.

He pulled the caps off both bottles and handed me one.

"A toast…to friends." he raised his bottle out in front of him

I grinned and replied "Well you're a pretty lousy friend so I'm not sure if i can consent to that toast…" He let out a snigger of laugher and I continued; "so lets go wiiiith…to lousy friends…may they never change."

He smiled softly and repeated my words back to me "to lousy friends" and clinked the lip of his bottle against mine.


End file.
